Week Two

A Tie

 

June 22, 2014

Just found out the USA and Portugal tied… ugh.

Today we traveled to our host family’s homes and community. The group went to two different communities, EH in one and SAS in the other. I met my host family (and extended family because they all live as neighbors). It is the end of the day and I am hot, sticky, and exhausted.  However, I am pleased to say that today was not as terrifying as I thought it would be. I actually told someone this morning before we left that I thought I was going to puke because of how nervous I was. I was only semi-serious, but his reply telling me I looked pale did not help. I was the last one off the bus, which just increased the anxiety watching everyone else greet their families and the extended suspense. My family has two daughters going to college and one who is older and married with two children and lives right next door. My host mother is very welcoming and has ten siblings, some of which and their children and their children as well as her mother live in the surrounding houses. One of my host sister’s children is a three month old little girl with a full head of jet black hair. Absolutely beautiful. To anyone who knows me, having a tiny baby to hold and love on is going to make this nine week training session ten times better. I also learned that she was born in a car at a gas station, I was pretty happy with myself for understanding that story. My host mother is wonderful and whenever she is directly asking me a question or telling me something she notably slows her voice and uses hand gestures. Surprisingly (to me anyways) I can understand just about everything they are asking me (when they aren’t talking at the speed of light). Actually talking and responding is a lot harder because I just don’t know enough words in Spanish to say what I want to say. BUT tomorrow we start our intensive language and technical training. Four hours in the morning for language training (and my group is just me, another person, and the instructor) and then I walk back to my host family’s house to eat lunch and then there is four hours of technical training for the entire group in the afternoon followed by dinner and (hopefully) conversation at my host family’s home.

Today I also got to tag along to el super and see all the food bought to feed this family for a week. I was pleasantly surprise with the large about of vegetables that were purchases. I was also very happy when we passed peanut butter and my host mom asked if I liked it, I said yes and she put it in the cart.

 

Okkkk, I just went to the latrine (yes it’s dark) and I have to add on to this. I have now seen a ginormous toad almost twice the size of my fist, as well as a giant cockroach under the toilet paper roll.

I am still hot. I am still sticky.

Welcome to living in Panama. 

Intense

 

June 23, 2014

Alright, what an overwhelming day. I think I feel that every day, but I’m just going to keep on saying it, cause it really dose keep happening. Today was the first day of week one training (yes they call the first week you’re here, last week, week zero). These first four days consist of four hours of Spanish lessons (8-noon). This is four hours of me and another student with our instructor who is only speaking in Spanish. I then came home to eat lunch and then went to four hours of technical training, it is still just basic overview information, but at the end of class we each got our own machete! Pretty cool right? I brought it home and my host father showed me how to sharpen it with a file PC also provided us. Tomorrow we are going to learn how to use them.

Everything here is moist

 

 

June 24, 2014

Is it really only Tuesday? I am exhausted. Language training went a little better today and for technical training we got to learn how to use our machetes and clear a plot that will be our test plot throughout training. It was a bit cooler today and tonight than it has been (I know I’ve only been here three days..). The food my host mother made today was delicious, as always. I also got to rock that beautiful sweet baby to sleep tonight and then hold her for a while as my host mother told me stories of past trainees she has hosted that have done some interesting things, it was very amusing. Everything here is moist. All the paper handouts I receive feel slightly damp. My clothes never seem to get completely dry. My pillow and sheets feel slightly damp. Everything here is moist. 

So tired

 

June 25, 2014

I think my hair might mold because it’s always wet with me taking two to four showers a day.

Feeling Refreshed

 

June 26, 2014

Today our training manager asked us to recall how long we have been in country, and we all kind of stared at each other and asked what day it was. Today is Thursday. We arrived last Tuesday. That’s nine days. It feels like I’ve been here a month already.

I still feel very concerned about learning Spanish. I feel like I have made no progress at all. It has only been five days that we have been in our host communities, but it feels like a month, and making no progress in (what feels like) a month is extremely frustrating. I know it will come but I am also having a hard time reminding myself how short of a time I have been here.

I just got off the phone with my mother, this was the first time I’ve talked to her since I’ve been here (I know it’s only been a little over a week, but I could swear it’s been so much longer than that!). I feel very refreshed after talking to her (in English!!!!) for an hour and telling her all about the stories I’ve heard from current volunteers.

 

Recalling what the current volunteers told us during “retreat”:

(my group:) So how long does it take to get to your site?

              I live in… and from Panama City I take an eight hour bus ride, then a two hour chivas ride, and then hike for three hour.

              I live in… and from Panama City it takes me a six hour bus ride, two hour chiva, and then an hour canoe ride.

(okkkkkkkkkk……)

How close is another volunteer to you and how often do you see them?

              I have to hike through their site to get to mine, so I see them almost every time I leave my site. Their about a half hour away from me.

              The closest other volunteer to me is about an hour canoe ride, I can rent a canoe and I go and see her about once a week.

(oooookkkkkkkk…)

There were also lots of questions and worries about the Spanish test that is at the end of training. You must be at the intermediate-middle level by the end of training to swear-in and become a volunteer. One of the current volunteers told us he came in with zero Spanish. All he knew how to say was hola. One of the first things you do during the “retreat” is a Spanish proficiency interview. This is just you and one of the Spanish teachers in a room and (hopefully) have a conversation in Spanish so they know what groups to put you in for training lessons. This volunteer said he walked in and stood there. The teacher kept asking him to sit down (in Spanish of course, these teachers do not speak English to you) and he just stood there, not understanding what she was saying. Then he said he remembered that in Kindergarten he was taught the months in Spanish as a song. So he is standing there and just starts singing the song; “enero, febuero…..”. The teacher just points to the door and asks him to leave.

I’m sure it wasn’t funny in the moment but he laughs about it now, and so did all of we. It does make me feel a little bit better that if he can go from nothing to intermediate-middle in ten weeks, surely I can get there. 

**sigh**

 

June 27, 2014

Today I got up at five, so I could catch the bus at six. The entire group came together today at the office for a day full of training lectures. One wouldn’t think sitting all day (in AIR CONDITIONING!!) would be exhausting, but it was.

Learning how to use public transportation

 

June 28, 2014

Clean Clothes!!

And a morning full of pasear-ing.

June 29, 2014

Today we had a scavenger hunt in Panama City and found the hostels volunteers stay at when they are in the city. I also got to go back to Panama Viejo (I was there three years ago with SFS) and see the ruins and climb the bell tower again. I thought it was pretty cool being back at the same spot and getting to show it to a new group of people. We went to one of the plazas and saw a group of children performing traditional Panamanian dances (in full Panamanian dress). I had bean empanadas for lunch from a vender that was advocating for animal rights and were only selling vegan items. They said that 100% of their proceeds go to help all the stray cats and dogs in the city. We also got to check out a local brewery and see some of the two world cup games that were today.